Onvo has hired Benjamin Lucky as senior director of foodservice, a company spokesperson confirmed to C-Store Dive on Wednesday.
Scranton, Pennsylvania-based Onvo’s travel center food program includes its proprietary Food on the Fly program, which features meals across all dayparts. The retailer also has partnerships with popular QSRs like Burger King and Subway.
“Specializing in culinary innovation and strategic growth, Lucky will focus on optimizing the brand's proprietary foodservice offerings, driving menu creativity, and enhancing the overall fresh-food experience for guests across all 42 Onvo travel plazas and convenience stores,” Onvo’s spokesperson said via email.
Lucky brings over two decades of convenience retail food experience to Onvo. Early in his career, he worked as a foodservice category manager with ExxonMobil, Chevron, Kroger’s convenience division, and Murphy USA, eventually moving into food-focused directorial and managerial positions with Sprint Foods, Ampm, Maverik and Puma Energy.
Starting in 2019, Lucky spent four years as senior category manager of foodservice and dispensed beverages for the Wills Group, which operates the Dash In convenience store chain. He then spent nine months with Cal’s Convenience, former operator of the Stripes c-store chain, where he was vice president of foodservice.
He followed that up with over a year as senior director of fresh food development and corporate executive chef for 7-Eleven.
Lucky’s hiring comes nearly three months after he joined New York-based retailer Chestnut Market as its first-ever director of foodservice, only to exit the company about a week later.
Onvo operates 42 travel centers across Pennsylvania and New York, as well as 26 restaurants and seven hotels. The retailer added its first Popeyes last year, according to the company website, and is having a little fun with its food marketing with the search for its first chief hot dog officer.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to correct the scope of Lucky’s role. He is overseeing Onvo’s proprietary foodservice program.
